'Sunbathing' man Tasered on Kingsport Greenbelt

The blotter is derived from recent incident reports and central dispatch records of local police agencies.

Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office

July 9

A resident of Light Hollow Road called police about someone on his property firing a gun. When the caller went out to investigate, according to his account, he saw someone in the woods who fired another round. The complainant said he then fired his shotgun four times in the direction of the trespasser, who grabbed his stomach and fled on what sounded like an ATV. Police found fresh tire tracks, but no shell casings or suspect.

Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office

July 11

On Highway 11-W, a deputy stopped a motorist for crossing the fog line multiple times. The driver was found to be very “fidgety.” Subsequent questioning revealed that he had “snorted some meth 30 minutes prior.” He also admitted to being awake the past three days. He was arrested on several charges.

Kingsport Police Department

July 10

Investigation of a shoplifting case led police to Cloud Apartments, where the suspect was found outside. He also had active warrants for aggravated assault, and an officer tried to arrest him. The suspect resisted and a struggle ensued, with both men ending up on the ground. The suspect reached for the officer’s pistol — falsely claiming, “I’ve got your gun, I’m gonna shoot you!” — and was punched in the face to be subdued. Once brought to his feet, he claimed to have a knife and acted as if he were going to stab the officer’s stomach. The suspect was then Tasered and arrested.

July 11

— A patrol officer on West Stone Drive attempted to stop a car with a non-functioning tag light. The driver turned into a strip mall, accelerated and drove over a grass barrier, then bailed and ran down an embankment. When police located the car’s owner, she named a man whom she had let borrow it earlier in the day.

— Employees at a city cemetery found 19 bronze vases missing, along with a weed eater, leaf blower and saw. A former employee was named as a suspect in the burglary, with the total loss valued at more than $5,000.

— Following reports of someone “acting weird” along the Greenbelt, an officer found a man lying on his back along the path and sweating profusely. He was initially unresponsive, according to an officer, but when asked if he needed an ambulance, he “elevated his right hand and extended his middle finger towards me.” When ordered to sit up — and warned about potential arrest or a trip to the hospital — the man flipped off the officer a second time. Due to the man’s noncompliance and suspected drug use, a Taser was deployed to bring him into custody. Despite his assertion that he was just “sunbathing,” the man was jailed for public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.